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‘Tidying Up With Marie Kondo’ While the World Burns
I have nothing against Marie Kondo. She seems like a nice person, and I agree wholeheartedly with the minimalist lifestyle that she advocates. A less materialistic approach is desperately needed at a time when the planet is being suffocated by endless waste from our throw-away society.
But minimalism is not enough, and I fear that as the problems get too big and frightening people have turned inwards to focus on things they can control. This has been happening for over a decade, as seen in the explosion of home improvement shows which send the message that happiness can be found in soft furnishings and open-plan living spaces.
It’s also evident in the decline in people going out to socialize, a trend which is particularly marked in millennial's. These days many prefer to order in and spend the evening chilling with Netflix rather than brave the public in restaurants, theaters and clubs. While technology has played a large part in this change, I feel there are other forces at work too.
Molly Young put it perfectly in her New York Times article Is Staying in the New Going Out?
We no longer dismiss the urge to remain warm, hidden, fed, cushioned and entertained indoors as a lamentable womblike regression…..On some weekends I feel like a character in “My Ántonia,” buried in a sod…
